The Ryder Cup ended on a high as defending champions Europe clinched the title. It is an absolute pleasure for tennis fans, too, as Novak Djokovic was roped in for the first time to play in the All-Stars event. The Serbinator revealed that he had experienced sporting greatness as he met prominent sportsmen like Gareth Bale, Carlos Sainz, and Andriy Shevchenko. Djokovic even contributed some crucial points to his team and proved that he can excel at any task with the proper practice. However, he has yet to step up to the plate and match his longtime rival.

Novak Djokovic is not a regular golf player. His commitments are primarily limited to tennis, family, and charities. But he did not bow down and turned his occasional swings to professional practice after he accepted the invitation. However, an ardent Rafael Nadal fan threw shade at the Serb for his golfing skills and compared it with their great tennis rivalry.

Novak Djokovic taunted for his amateur golfing skills

The World No.1 had to tweak his schedule at the last moment to accommodate his new role. Djokovic admitted before playing in the tournament that his golf skills are far below that in tennis. In a rare moment, he was spotted enjoying his time to the fullest as he attempted to strike the ball with his club. But a Top-10 ATP star cornered his skills as he hailed Rafa.

Nadal’s Mallorca academy is a tennis heaven for aspiring players, and Casper Ruud is a graduate of Rafa’s Academy. Ruud and Rafa have a great bond, as Ruud played in his idol’s academy since childhood. So, in an interview with Tennis TV, World No.9 proved his loyalty to the King of Clay by taking a sarcastic jibe at Djokovic.

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When Ruud was asked to rate the golfing skills of Rafa and Djoker, he said, “Rafa, Rafa is better. Sorry, Novak, but you’ve beaten Rafa a lot on the tennis court, but you won’t beat Rafa on the golf course. He is going to have to live with that!” Though Djoker leads the head-to-head record, Rafa is only one match away from equaling the numbers.

The former World No.2 disclosed that he also received an invitation to play in the All-Stars event but declined so that he could play in the China Open. Ruud revealed, “They actually asked me to be a part of this All-Star match that Novak played. And I was so sad to have to turn them down because I was playing in Beijing.” When the interviewer intervened to praise the two-time French Open finalist’s golf skills, Ruud took a U-turn as he praised the Serb for the same thing he criticized Rafa.

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The Norwegian is a skilled golfer, and the interviewer told him that he would have won had Ruud played. Ruud was impressed with the Serb’s swing and said, “It was fun to see Novak. His swing was better than what I thought.” But during the Wimbledon Championships this year, Ruud too poked fun at Rafa’s swing.

The 24-year-old revealed that he played with the Spaniard twice, and Nadal could not pass the ball within the par limit (an under-par). Ruud also mocked him, saying that the former World No.1’s swing is ‘awful’ and ‘bad’ though he somehow manages to make it work in his favor. The 22-time Slam champion is infamous for his superstitious on-court routines, and Ruud confirmed that Rafa is the same on the golf course.

Like in his hilarious tennis routines, Nadal adjusts his hair and t-shirt and slightly sways his hips to find his momentum. When he is about to hit the ball, he pauses for a second, just like when he is about to serve. Well, old habits die hard is all that can be said.

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